May is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Brown County

Brown County, Texas

Brown County is a county in West Central Texas. As of 2000, the population was 37,674. Its county seat is Brownwood. Brown is named for Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. According to the Handbook of Texas

Handbook of Texas

The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...

, the community had an estimated population of 285 in 2000. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....

 in 1981, Marker number 5377.

Geography

May is located at 31°58′47"N 98°55′12"W (31.9795899, -98.9200555). It is situated at the intersection of U.S. Highway 183

U.S. Route 183

U.S. Route 183 is a north–south United States highway. U.S. 183 was the last US route to be completely paved. The 20 mile segment in Loup County, Nebraska, north of Taylor, was unpaved until 1967. The highway's northern terminus is in Presho, South Dakota, at an intersection with...

 and FM 1689 in northeastern Brown County, approximately 20 miles north of Brownwood

Brownwood, Texas

Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,813 at the 2000 census.-History:The original site of the Brown County seat of Brownwood was on the east of Pecan Bayou. A dispute arose over land and water rights, and the settlers were forced...

 and 36 miles south of Eastland

Eastland, Texas

Eastland is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,769 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Eastland County.During the 1920s, Eastland, like nearby Cisco, Ranger, and Desdemona, were petroleum boomtowns....

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History

The area was originally part of a Mexican land grant given to empresario John Cameron in 1827. The community itself was developed in the 1870s and was named for pioneer settler W.D. May. May's brother, Nathan, opened a store at the site in 1879. A post office was established two years later. In 1907, May had a blacksmith shop, general store, newspaper, and a bank. That same year, the community became a stop on the Brownwood North and South Railway. The line was abandoned in 1927. The population had grown to approximately 500 by 1940. During the following years, May began to slowly decline. The community was home to around 285 residents by 1980. That figure remained steady through 2000.

Although May is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76857..

Education

Public education in the community of May is provided by the May Independent School District

May Independent School District

May Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of May, Texas . Located in northeast Brown County, a small portion of the district extends into Comanche County.May ISD has two campuses -...

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